I must disagree with the conclusions of The Washington Post editorial that was published in The Republican (“Biden’s pardon deepens mistrust of justice system,” Dec. 4).
Hunter Biden bought a gun without disclosing he had a drug problem. He was accused of this crime and convicted. As stated in the article, this law is rarely enforced. How can you believe anything other than the target because he was Joe Biden’s son?
Hunter Biden broke the law. The editorial implied that Hunter should not have been pardoned because he broke the law. The only people who have never been pardoned are those who break the law. How does this increase distrust in the justice system?
We know that President-elect Donald Trump used the pardon power during his first term to grant clemency to many of his colleagues. And he threatens to pardon those involved in a violent insurrection against the United States government on January 6, 2021. Hunter only bought a gun. It didn’t cause a riot.
Hunter Biden has been hounded since his father became president. You know as well as I do that the new administration would have continued to pursue Hunter, investigate him and try to implicate his father.
The only mistake Joe Biden made was saying he wouldn’t pardon his son.
Republicans cry hypocrisy. And yet they elect a man who has 34 felony convictions, was convicted of sexual assault, and incited insurrection. This is hypocrisy. Equating Trump’s selection of unqualified MAGA loyalists to top national security and other positions with Biden’s pardon of his son is hypocritical.
I, for one, am glad that Joe Biden pardoned Hunter.
Trudy Knowles is Professor Emeritus at Westfield State University.